And I've complained.

[miniworth]

Who: miniworth and usedrage
Where: Goldenrod City Pokémon Center
When: January 24th, 7PM
Summary: Miles wakes up, there is not enough drama, and he'll probably have Ken anger-facing about Miles' sister.
Rating: ...PG-13? 

Miles began to stir around seven o'clock that evening. The signs were subtle at first: a slight frown that steadily deepened, a twitching of his fingers. But he was definitely stirring, signs of life that had been absent for the past nine days.

His dreams, like every dream he'd had for the last many months, were not of the pleasant kind. He looked around, light gray eyes scanning the dark room he sat in. There was a large window across from him, ghostly moonlight seeping into the room and illuminating everything in a hazy, cold light. A bed much too large for his small body, an armchair with a cushion so soft that he sank into it when he sat down, an elegant desk where sat his thick textbooks, a quill pen resting elegantly there. The signs of wealth - the physical evidence of the luxury in which he was placed now - was everywhere. This was his world. This was in his room in the von Karma household, in Germany, where he'd been living for the last nine months.

And how pointless those nine months had been. 

He raised a trembling, cold hand to his throat, remembering what had happened just a few minutes before. 

It felt... fine. As if it hadn't completely clamped up on him and nearly suffocated him earlier. Taking a deep breath, Miles licked his dry lips, whispering to himself: "Manfred von Karma killed Gregory Edgeworth."

Nothing happened. The words came out fine, and Miles repeated himself, his ability to do so assuring him that he was alone, and nobody was close enough to hear him - to hear the truth. He chanted that phrase several more times, his voice growing steadily shakier until he cracked down into a torn sort of laugh, his head falling down onto drawn up knees. 

Miles' hand twitched more, his fingers curling into a loose fist.

So this was it.

He was going to remember everything he knew, and he would not be able to do a thing about it. Every time he opened his mouth to utter a single sound about what he knew, his throat would lock up, and he would not be able to speak - or breathe - until he gave up and staggered back to his room, where he would be alone. He had tried to contact his mother, his father's old assistant, but the phones would not connect, the marmy voice of the machine the only greeting he ever received.

What was it that Merlin had said?

...the future doesn't work like that. Don't ever, ever think it was your fault because you couldn't change it. When you mess around with that sort of thing, it never turns out the way you believe it will.

.....How right he had been.

Miles' laughter died away, and he let his body slide, sideways, across the wall until he  was lying on his side on the floor, staring at a patch of moonlight on his carpet. The burgundy color of the carpet reminded him of Merlin's neckerchief, the color of Mitsuru Kirijo's hair, the armband Ken Amada wore around his arm occasionally. The last time he saw them was months ago, and he wondered how they were doing now...

He missed them. 

The boy's frown deepened even more, the fist tightening.

It was strange to feel homesick for a world he didn't even belong in. 

He closed his eyes against the hot stinging in the corners of his eyes, the anger burning in his stomach as he recalled both the faces of his smiling friends back in Johto, and the sneering figure of Manfred von Karma as he spoke of Miles' father. 

Never forgive criminals, Miles Edgeworth. Become a prosecutor, and find revenge.

The image of the legendary prosecutor raising a gun made Miles snap open his eyes.

He was, first, blinded by the white light that burned into his retinas, a brightness that pushed any shadow of Manfred von Karma to the back of his mind as Miles raised his arm to cover his eyes. The limb felt oddly heavy, and he soon dropped it, opting instead to squint at the room he suddenly found himself in --

Why was it so bright?

As his eyesight adjusted, he was able to make out what looked like a tiled ceiling, a white fluorescent light beaming down on him. Out of the corner of his eyes, he realized that he was lying on a bed with white sheets.... in fact, the whole room seemed to be basked in this color. 

"Where am I...?"

He tilted his head - it felt heavy as well - to the side to get a better look at his surroundings, and his gaze fell on a figure, a very familiar person, dozing off in a spinning chair by the bed. Brown hair not as spiky as Miles remembered, as tired-looking as he ever was, the usual orange sweatshirt and black jacket. Miles would recognize Ken Amada anywhere.

It dawned on him, then, that he, Miles Edgeworth, had returned to Johto.

Comments

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

Ken had only allowed himself to close his eyes a few minutes prior, soon after his Pokemon had fallen asleep in the corner. Rom had fallen asleep in his arms, and as his head fell forward, the Minun's ears brushed his nose.

Groggily, at the sound of Miles' waking, he lifted his head. He blinked, twice, rubbed his eyes, and leaped to his feet (sending the chair flying back into the wall). He couldn't contain a grin of excitement, even though he knew that there was a good chance that Miles wouldn't be happy after this. But he woke up, he was okay. Nine days of worrying and (akldnfadsf), he was awake again.

"Miles-san!"

[miniworth]

Miles blinked, and blinked once more, groggily. His whole body, even his mind, felt heavy, like a weight that was dragging him lower and lower into the bed he was on, or back into the dark room in Germany he'd just closed his eyes in.

He licked his lips - dry - and his throat felt rather parched, as well. He swallowed before he spoke again.

"Ken."

Moving his hands, he made an attempt to sit himself up. It was difficult; his muscles felt weak, his body just so darn heavy as he pushed himself to sitting. The movement caused a dull ache to start near his temple, a dizzy spell as blood rushed through his veins as if it hadn't in days - and he closed his eyes momentarily before turning to his friend.

...Ken Amada did not look as if nine months had passed between their last meeting.

"What-- how long has it been?"

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

Ken immediately scrambled to help him. "You shouldn't move." Nervously, hesitantly, aware that he would have pushed any assistance away himself, he supported Miles' shoulders with his hands. "You've been asleep for nine days. You're probably really hungry and thirsty--um--"

He looked back and forth in half a panic for the pitcher of water he'd replaced every day, whenever he'd felt it necessary. Romulus had already scrambled forward and began carefully pushing it closer to Miles' bed.

"Everybody's been really worried about you. You fell asleep, and..." Quiet, not letting go, he looks away. He doesn't want to admit that he'd been unsure that Miles would wake up.

[miniworth]

"Nine days?" No matter Ken looked the same.

Raising a hand, he placed it on Ken's shoulder. The fabric of the boy's jacket felt so familiar and comforting - rough, worn, much more familiar than the pristine coats he had to wear in Germany. He grasped onto the fabric, his eyes moving up to look around the room more. He spotted Pess, lying in a corner with the rest of the smaller Pokémon piled around her. They looked well, and Miles immediately knew that he had Ken to thank for it.

At his friend's faltering words, he offered a small smile.

"I'm back. I told you I'll be."

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"I didn't doubt you would." He stares pointedly at the end of Miles' bed, a little red. "I've been waiting here." He waves a hand in front of Miles' face... not to be annoying, or because he doesn't think he's paying attention, but mostly because he's worried and wondering if he's going to fall back asleep.

"Are you okay?" He doesn't specify, but it's obvious that he means in relation to home.

[miniworth]

Ken's waving hand causes him to blink again, and he shook his head quickly to rid it of its lingering grogginess. He didn't feel like he'd lose consciousness again, but he definitely still looked tired, eyes half lidded, staring at a spot on the wall across from him.

He was silent for a few seconds, but then he shook his head again, this time looking resigned, apologetic.

"Every time I tried to speak a word about what I knew, I couldn't."

He reached up, a hand to his throat, frowning.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

Ken's grip tightens on Miles' shoulders. "... You still have time." No matter what, Ken firmly believes this. Miles had time, Miles could change things. He had time... time that Ken never had

Finally, gently, he releases his friend's shoulders and pours him a glass of water. He takes a moment to return his spinny chair to the side of the bed before he sits down.

[miniworth]

An invisible hand would tighten around my throat and block even my breathing.

But he couldn't say that.

He had a feeling it had nothing to do with time, but taking the glass with a small thanks, Miles only nodded. He wasn't going to break any promises - and he had made a promise to change that miserable fate that awaited in his future.

"It's still January here, then." He had to get his bearings first. In Johto he'd only been asleep for nine days, whereas Miles had lived in Germany for nine months. The time gap was going to be difficult to get used to.

"Has anything new happened?"

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"I haven't been paying much attention." Ken swings his legs, gripping the seat of the chair, staring at his knees. "Merlin-san and Iris-san are here a lot." A few moments pass as he swings his legs more.

"... Someone was looking for you yesterday." He finally looks up for a second. "She seemed pretty upset with you. She kept yelling. She had a riding crop and kept snapping it at me."

[miniworth]

At the mention of Merlin - ...the future doesn't work like that - Miles's movements stop for a fraction of a second, but he immediately recovers, sipping the water with feigned calm.

The mention of the girl, though, makes him stop altogether, frown in confusion at the opposite wall, and turn to Ken with a very, very incredulous look.

"A riding crop." What.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"Yes..." He goes back to staring at his knees. He'll do anything to avoid mentioning her last name. "She acted really entitled, and said she was my better. She kept trying to get me to wake you up, even after I said I couldn't.

She said her name was Franziska."

[miniworth]

The glass of water went unnoticed as it slipped from Miles' hands.

The expression on his face was that of shock, initially, and... hope? He definitely recognized the name, and Ken's description of her was--

...well. Quite disturbingly similar to the way her father acted.

"Franziska is here?"

The words came out a lot softer than he'd intended.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

Ken scrambles to get something to clean it up, before--

"... You actually know her?"

[miniworth]

A muttered "darn it" as Miles picks up the glass and pulls the blanket off, his expression turning to that of an awkward grin as he nods.

"She's my sister."

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

A beat.

Another beat.

"Your sister?! She's a monster!"

[miniworth]

Miles' expression goes back to incredulous. A monster?

"My adopted sister. She is a bit spoiled, but I've never gotten a monstrous impression of her..."

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well." He stares, now, at his hands, looking rather uncomfortable. "She's a lot more than spoiled." She managed to hurt him pretty bad...

[miniworth]

"The Franziska von Karma I know didn't have a riding crop, whatever she's using that for."

He kept his eyes on the wet blanket he folded, eyebrows furrowed in thought. If she really was the toddler he knew, there was no way he could leave her alone. She was too young for that, but..

"She.. wasn't a three-year-old, was she?"

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"She looked like she was a little older than us." He brings his knees to his chest, the chair spinning slowly from the movement. "And she was using it to disagree with everything I said."

[miniworth]

A faint look of disgust settles on Miles' face, and he looks away, drawing his knees up as well and leaning back on a pillow he props up absentmindedly.

"You shouldn't listen to her, then." He sounds almost moody. "She probably grew up to be just like her father.. she worships him, after all."

A pause.

"What did she say?"

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

"She called you a coward." This, of course, was the biggest offense in his mind. "When I tried to argue, she said she was better than me." He lets a few moments go by, staring at Kirby, who rolls over (right onto Pip).

"She said there was no way you'd be my friend when I tried to defend you." He struggles not to let his breath shake.

"... A bunch of lies."

[miniworth]

Pip sleeps on, though he does nudge Kirby off with his foot.

Miles watches the sleeping Growlithes as well. If Franziska was older than them, the Miles Edgeworth she knew would be an adult.. at least eighteen, perhaps. Maybe even older.

"I cannot credit or discredit her words, due to it being fact that the Miles Edgeworth she knows is different from me." Matter-of-fact, not faltering. The last thing he could do is show dread about his future.

"She wasn't lying. She was just mistaken." He shows Ken a small smile. "Thank you for defending me."

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

Ken knows he means well, but that just serves to hurt a little bit more. He continues, to stare silently, at the Pokemon (Kirby, uncomfortable, rolls the other way, straight into Pess).

[miniworth]

Beat. Two. Three.

"Not to say, however, that she is going to get away with it." He looks disgruntled, and he stretches his legs out, swinging them over the side of the bed opposite Ken. "Sister or not, Franziska von Karma or not, I won't tolerate someone putting such a look on your face."

And he pushes himself off the bed--




and disappears behind it as his knees buckle and he falls to the floor.

[usedrage.livejournal.com]

Ken... well, Ken curses, using a very bad term he heard from Junpei once, to try and describe his anger, before rushing to the other side of the bed.

"You shouldn't try to get up yet! Your muscles aren't ready for it!" He kneels next to Miles and gently, hesitantly, again, puts a hand on his shoulder. "You need to take it gradually." Even though the whole situation screams hypocrisy. "You're going to hurt yourself if you push it too fast."